Muscadine Grape Jam No Pectin Food

MUSCADINE GRAPE JAM

Steps:

• Before you begin, prepare calcium water.To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona's pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
• Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
• Wash the grapes. Then score the end of each grape with a paring knife and pop the flesh out of the skin and into a sauce pan. Place the skins in a bowl and set aside.
• Bring the skinless grapes to a boil and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Put the simmered grapes into a Foley mill or a fine sieve and push the pulp and juice through into a bowl, leaving behind the seeds. Discard the seeds.
• Place the skins in a sauce pan with just enough water to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until soft and tender (10 to 15 minutes). Puree the skins in a blender or food processor.
• Add processed skins to the bowl of pulp and juice and stir together well. Measure 4 cups of this mixture into a sauce pan.
• Add calcium water, and mix well.
• Measure sugar or room temperature honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sweetener. Set aside.
• Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Add pectin-sweetener mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
• Fill hot jars to ¼" of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

BEST MUSCADINE JAM

Steps:

• Prepare grapes by cutting partway through the skin and popping the pulp/seed capsule out of the hull. Put pulp into one pot and the hulls into another.
• Simmer the pulp, covered, on low-medium until soft enough to press through sieve or food mill ~ 10 minutes. Add just a little water if necessary to prevent sticking.
• Meanwhile, chop hulls very finely in the food processor and return to their pot. Add just enough water to make it possible to simmer without sticking. Cook slowly, covered, 10 minutes or until hulls are softened.
• Peel lemon and chop peel finely. Use entire peel, including the white part, to ensure good jelling.
• Juice the lemon.
• Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a large pot.
• Add lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in sugar and return to a boil.
• Simmer, stirring frequently until the jellying point is reached ~ 1-2 hours. Timing is approximate and will vary depending on conditions and the amount of natural pectin in the fruit. Check frequently.
• Pack into hot, sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

MUSCADINE JAM

Steps:

• Inspect four 8-ounce jars (or two 16-ounce jars) for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water. Place a couple of small plates in the freezer.
• Wash grapes and cut in half. Combine grapes and sugar in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Maintain a medium to low boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking; make sure it does not get too hot.
• Check doneness by dropping a small spoonful of jam onto a frozen plate. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes; if jam appears to gel, it is ready. Continue cooking if jam appears thin and runny.
• Transfer a portion of the jam mixture to a blender; puree until all hulls and seeds are ground. Set pureed jam in a pot to keep warm, and continue with remaining mixture.
• Pack pureed jam into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any residue. Top with lids and screw rings on tightly.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from water and set aside until the entire canning jar cools and you hear the "pop" of the can sealing, at least 1 hour. Store and enjoy at your leisure!

LEMONY MUSCADINE PRESERVES

Steps:

• Prepare grapes by cutting partway through the skin and popping the pulp/seed capsule out of the hull. Put pulp into one pot and the hulls into another.
• Simmer the pulp, covered, on low-medium until soft enough to press through sieve or food mill ~ 10 minutes. Add just a little water if necessary to prevent sticking.
• Meanwhile, chop hulls very finely in the food processor and return to their pot. Add just enough water to make it possible to simmer without sticki ng. Cook slowly, covered, 10 minutes or until hulls are softened.
• Peel lemon. Chop peel finely. Use entire peel, including the white part, to ensure good jelling.
• Juice the lemon.
• Press pulp through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds. Stir sieved pulp into cooked hulls in a large pot.
• Add lemon juice and peel. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in sugar and return to a boil.
• Simmer, stirring frequently until the jellying point is reached ~ 45-90 minutes. Timing is approximate and will vary depending on conditions and the amount of natural pectin in the fruit. Check frequently.
• Pack into hot, sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath.